Practice 18: Growth Monitoring

Monitor and promote child’s growth and follow health worker’s advice about treatment, follow-up and referral in case of disabilities, for timely intervention and management.

• Explain that all happy families keep an eye on the growth and development of their child. If happening normally, it makes them happy. If not, it provides timely opportunity for remedy.
• Ask mother if her child is taken for growth monitoring regularly and if she and her husband monitor the growth.
• Listen attentively.

• Appreciate if they are doing it.
• Discuss why, if not doing it. Do they have enough knowledge? Do they think monitoring is the job of a doctor only? Are they preoccupied with other things?

• Coach the mother on using a plastic measuring tape for height, or head circumference and a weighing scale for weight.
• Teach the family about the major milestones e.g., sitting upright, standing with and without support, walking, running; turning in the direction of noises, eyes following an object etc
• Coach about speech, which starts with the sounds to words to small sentences.

• Parents/Caregivers should closely monitor the growth of the child.
• When the child is weighed, the weight should be plotted on a graph.
• Parents should go to health facility when they notice the child is not making progress.
• Play with the children and easily notice developmental problems when they are. This ensures optimal development and also screens development delays